Insulator rack



April 23, 1929- c. l.. PEIRCE, .IIR

INSULATOR RACK Filed May 2v. 1922 W/TAESSES Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

CHARLES L. PIERCE, JR., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

INSULATOR RACK.

Application filed May 27, 192

The invention rel ates to insulator racks and it has particular relationto racks adapted to support a plurality of insulators in superposedrelation.

Heretofore it has been necessary, in mounting :insulator racks of thisgeneral character upon a supporting structure or pole, to first removethe insulators carried thereby in order to permit of the insertion ofthe through bolt through the base portion of the rack for engagementwith rlhis practice has resulted inmuch inconvenience and the loss oftime. Furthermore, in the construction of racks of the type ydescribed,it has been customary to forni the insulator supporting arms with tenonswhich were separately riveted inr apertures formed in the base memberWhich necessitated much manual labor and the consequent expense.

@neef the objects of the invention is to provide a device, of thecharacter described, in which the various parts may be constructed fromstock material and quickly assembled With a minimum of time and labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device, of the class setforth, which may be secured to a supporting structure 'Without removingany of the insulators carried thereby. l f

Viith such objects in view, as Well as other advantages 'which may beincident to the utilization of the improvement, the invention consistsin the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth. andclaimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elementsconstituting the same may be varied in proportion and arrangementWithoutv departing from the nature and scope of the invention. y

ln order to malte tlie invention more clearly understood, moans areshown in the accompanying` dra-wings for carrying the same intopractical effect, Without limiting the improvements. in their usefulapplications, to the particular constructions, which, for the purpose ofexplanation, are made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a front elevational view of aninsulator rack constructed inr accordance with the invention. y

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line l'-Il of Fig. l. g

Fig. 8 is a bori'fontal sectional view taken online .lll-Jill of Fig. l,

the supporting structure.'

Serial No. 564,275.

Fig t is an .enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line IV-IV ofFig. 1 and illustrates `a tongue portion disposed in an aperture in abase portion before the retaining lip has been bent into the aperture toprevent lzhe displacement of the tongue portion thererom.

- Fi a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the lip portion bent into theaperture and into engagement with the tongue to prevent the displacementthereof.

Fig` 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line VI-VI ofFig. 1 and illustrat- 'ing the T-shaped tenons or tongue portion of asupporting arm disposed Within an aperture in a base member.

Fi 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view 'illustrating a tenen slot andretaining lip.

Figi'. 8 a fragmentary front elevational vieuT of an insulatorrack andillustrating the transversely extending bridging member in position forsecuring the rack to a supportin e structure or pole.

9 a horizontal sectional view taken on line VH1-VIII of Fig. 8 andshowing the bridging member in interloclred engagement with the basemembers of the rack.

Fi 10 is a perspective view of the bridging nien'iber. f

Referring to the drawings, an insulator rack constructed in accordancewith the invention, is illustratedA as comprising a plurality ofvertically extending base members 'l of channel construction arranged inparallel and spaced relation with respect to each other. Each of thebase members 1 is provided with a plurality of apertures 2 for thereception of the usual, supporting lag screws,

f not shown.

The base members l are further provided with a plurality of equallyspaced apertures 3 of substantially T-shape, and having a relativelynarrow portion l and a comparatively Wide transverse portion 5. The Wideportions 5 of the apertures are formed by striking up the metal of thebase member l to form alip 6, the purpose of which ivillbe hereinafterdescribed.-

A plurality of horizontally extending insulator supporting arms orbrackets'?, indicated as a Whole by the numeral 7, connect the basemembers l and are disposed insuperpesed relation With respect to eachother thereon; The arms 7 are provided with apertii. ti through whichthe usual insulator retaining bolt isV adapted to extend. The arlns 7are each preferably pressed 'from sheet metal and comprise ahorizontally disposed insulator supporting portion 9, the opposite sidesof which are bent to form downwardly extending flanges 10. The flanges1() are each provided with atenon or tongue portion 11 formed with ahead12 and a relatively nurrow neck portion 13.

1n assembling the device, the arms or brackets 7 are arranged inposition on the base members 1 byziirst inserting the tongue portions11i1i the enlarged portions of the apertures 3 formed in the basemembers 1.

Thebase members are then moved apart a distance sufficient to cause therelatively narrow neck portions 13 of the tongues 11 to enter the narrowportions 1- of the apertures 3. vVhen the various elements of the rackare in thisposition, the enlarged heads 12- of the` tongue portions 11will prevent the displacement of the arms or brackets 7 'from the basemembers Y1 in an outward direction.

The lip portions 6 are thon bent downwart ly into the enlarged portions5 of the apei tures 3, from which they were initiallystruck, completelyclosing the same, thereby preventing any lateral movement of themeinbers 1 and securely'locking they tongue portion 11 in the apertures3.

VIt will be readily appreciated, from th foregoing, that by thisconstruction the insulator bracket-sniay be quickly assembled on thebase members without the necessity yof separately riveting veach of thetongues in their respective apertures, as it is a very simple operationto bend down the lip portions 6 to secure the tongue portions inVosition. C L The bendino'of the various lips ma be auto` n D a 1 linatically accomplished 'simultaneously by means of a suitable press andthe assembly Y of the parts thereby greatly simplilied.

In order that an insulator rack of the type above described may besecured to a supporting structure without the necessity of iirstremoving the insulators, there is provided a bridging` member, indicatedas a whole by the numeral 14, which is adapted to extend transverselyacross the rack for engagement with the outer faces of the member 1.AvThe member 14 is preferably formed from material of channelconstruction having a base portion 15 and flanges 1 6 and 17. Acentrally disposed aperture 18 is provided Lin the base portion 15through which a bolt 19 extends to secure the rack to a supportingstructure.

In order to prevent the member 14 from i.

turning on the bolt and becoming disengaged from the members 1, intheevent that the bolt 19should become loose, one of the flanges 16 ofthe member 14 is, cut away to provide lugs 20 adjacent to each endthereof which are adapted to register with and project into two of theoppositely disposed lag screw apertures 2 of the base members 1. Theother flange 17 rack of the type described, to a pole or othersupporting structure the bolt 19 is iirst disposed in an aperture formedtherein with the member 14 loosely mounted thereon. The member 1l isthen turned on the bolt 19 to a position parallel to and registeringwith the elongated opening or space between the base members 1 of therack. The rack is then disposed in position against the supportingstructure and the member 14 turned on the bolt 19 to a substantiallyhorizontal position.

1f the insulator arms or brackets are disposed relatively closetogether, which may Voccur when small insulators are employeiil,

the member 11 may be tilted or moved angulai'ly a slight degree withrespect to the supporting structurein oidei to provide clearance betweenthe adjacent arms. After the ii'iember 14 has been moved to itshorizontal position, the rack is adjusted vertically until two ot theapertures 2 in the base members 1 register with the lugs 2O of thebridging meniber 1d. The bolt 19 is then tightened and the base members1 securely g ipped between the member 1e and the supporting structurewith the lugs 29 projecting into the apertures Q.

From an inspection of F 8 of the drawings, it will'be noted that whenthe lugs` 20 are in engagement with the apertures 2, the lower edgethereof is practically in engagenientV with one of the insulator armsand further prevents any tendency of the bridging member to turn ortwist about the bolt 19. By this construction, itv will be practicallyim- Y possible for the bridging member to turn on the bolt 19 and becomedisengaged from the base Vmembers 1 of the rack unless the bolt becomesvery loose.

From Vthe foregoing it will be apparent that a very strong and ruggedinsulator rack is provided thatis not only simple in coiistruct-ion andassembly but one that may be quickly and easily secured in positionwithout the inconvenience, heretofore encountered, of first removing theinsulators from the rack.

What I claimis:

1. A seconda-ry rack having spaced base members, insulator supportingarms connecting said base members so as to provide a unitary structure,a fastening member of elongated shape adapted to .pass through the Yspace between said members when positioned longitudinally thereof and toengage the fronts of said base members when turned at right angles tosaid position and means for mounting said kfastening member on asupport. f

Q. A secondary rack having spaced base members, insulator supportingarms associated with said members, means on each arm for separatelyengaging and securing the spaced base members to the arm so as toprovide a unitary structure, a fastening member et elongated shapeadapted to pass through the space between said members, when posi tionedlongitudinally thereof and to engage the fronts of said members whenturned at right angles to said position and means for mounting saidfastening member on a support.

lA secondary rack having spaced members provided with lag screwreceiving openings, insulator supporting arms connecting said basemembers so as to provide a unitary struct-ure, a fastening member otelongated shape adapted to pass through the space between said memberswhen positioned longitudinall)7 thereof, lugs on said 'fastening memberfor engaging said openings in said base members when turned at rightangles to said position and means for mounting said 'fastenin g memberon a support.

a. A secondary rack having spaced base members provided with lag screwreceivingy openings, insulator supporting arms associa-ted with saidmembers, means on each arm for separately engaging and securing the armto the spaced base members so as to provide unitary .structure having alongitudinally extending slot of substantial width between said members,a 'fastening member oi elon-v gated sh ape adapted to pass through saidslot when positioned longitudinally thereof and to engage the -fronts ofsaid members when turned at right angles to said position, lugs adjacentthe ends of said fastening member' adapted to be positioned in saidopenings, flanges on said member adapted to be positioned in said slotwhen said lugs engage said openings and means for mounting said.fastening member on a support.

5. A secondary rack having a base provided with an elongated opening,insulator supporting arms mounted on said base so as to pro vide aunitary structure, a fastening member of elongated shape adapted to passthrough said elongated opening when positioned 'longitudinally thereofand to engage said base when turned at right anglesto said posit-ion,and means for mounting said tasteningy member on a support.

6. A secondary rack consisting oi a unitary frame having alongitudinally elongated opening and carrying an insulator bracketadapted to support the insulator in 'front of said elongated opening, ataste-ning means for said trame yembodying a headed bolt adapted to bemounted in a support, and a clamping bar mounted rotatably on said boltbetween the frame and said insulator and having an elongated shapeadapting it to 'pass through said elongated opening` when positionedlongitudinally oit said frame and to extend across saidopening whenturned at right angles to said position, whereby when said bolt istightened said clamping bar will be 'forced against the face of saidframe in cont-act therewith at opposite sides o said elongated opening.

7. A secondary rafcl consisting oit a `unitary frame having alongitudinally elongated opening and carrying an insulator bracketadapted to support the insulator in yfront oit said elongated opening, afastening means rfor said frame embodying a headed bolt adapted to bemounted in a support, a clamping bar n'iounted rotatal'ily on said boltbetween the trame and said insulator and having an elongatedshapeadapting it to pa s through said elongated opening when positionedlongitudin ally ott said frame and to extend across said opening whenturned at right angles to said position, whereby when said bolt isagainst the .ta-ce ot said trame in cont-act therewith at opposite sidesot said elongated opening, and interlocking means between said clampingbar and said iframe adapted to come into interlocking relation and holdsaid clamping bar against rotation on the bolt when said bolt istightened.

In testimony'whereof, Iliave hereunto subscribed my name this 25th dayof May, 1922.

errantes L. ramon, Jn.

ytightened said clamping bar will be forced i

